Kitchen and Laundry Blessing

Ohana Pacific Management, which operates The Villas, dedicated its new kitchen and laundry on Tuesday, July 11.

Sister Pat Schofield and Chaplain Kara Dreflak-Utley conducted the blessing with assistance from Patty Martin, St. Francis Healthcare System’s Vice President – Mission and Organizational Development, and Father Danny Laeada. They started the blessing first in the 900-sq. ft. laundry, leading guests in specially written prayers for the laundry and kitchen.

Richard Kishaba, CEO of Ohana Pacific Management, welcomed employees to the blessing ceremony and expressed that he was glad to be a part of the 130-year legacy of caring that started with the Sisters of St. Francis. He participated in the ceremony by adding Hawaiian salt into the bowl of water that was used in the sprinkling with ti leaves.

The 2,400-sq. ft. kitchen is equipped with nearly $1 million of state-of-the-art professional-grade equipment, including Sous Vide equipment. Sous Vide is a French cooking technique, which translates to “under vacuum” and uses a pouch that is heated at a precise temperature in a water bath.

Heather Knox, who has been Ohana Pacific Management for the past 11 years, will head the kitchen, which has created 17 new full-time and on-call positions. In the photo, she shows the combi oven, which combines three cooking methods in one unit — pressureless steam, convected heat, and a combination of both.

Michelle Eclipse prepares meals for The Villas residents in the new kitchen.